Phineas
About Phineas
Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The Egyptians distinguished themselves from their Nubian neighbors through differences in skin tone.
A quirky route to nickname Finn that also feels totally traditional, Phineas had been out of style for over a century before it was revisited in the 2000s, last heard from via circus impresario, Phineas T. Barnum. It was drawn back into the limelight, first by actress Julia Roberts who chose the even-more-antique spelling Phinnaeus for her son in 2004 and then by the Disney Channel animated show Phineas and Ferb in 2007.
While the cartoon link may put some people off, the name did see a surge in usage after it aired: given to just 40 boys in the years prior, by 2010, it was being given to 140. Chosen for 114 boys in the latest count, it was given extra star-cred when Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake selected it for their son in 2020.
Anthony Trollope combined name and nickname for the young, handsome and charming Irish lawyer hero of his eponymous novel, Phineas Finn, while Phineas is also the name of three biblical personages and was popular among the seventeenth century Puritans. Jazz pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr. is a contemporary namesake, while musician Finneas Baird O'Connell is another notable bearer, albeit with an alternative spelling.
Pronounced FIN-ee-us.
As of October 2026, Phineas ranked #1616 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1030 in 1880, Nameberry popularity #191.
Editor's take: The name Phineas is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Nubian, the bronze-colored one".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,522 | 106 | 55.2 |
| 2015 | #1,664 | 95 | 49.6 |
| 2016 | #1,284 | 142 | 74.8 |
| 2017 | #1,376 | 129 | 69.7 |
| 2018 | #1,332 | 136 | 74.9 |
| 2019 | #1,475 | 117 | 65.2 |
| 2020 | #1,432 | 121 | 70.1 |
| 2021 | #1,403 | 131 | 74.9 |
| 2022 | #1,619 | 108 | 61.9 |
| 2023 | #1,715 | 98 | 57.3 |
| 2024 | #1,538 | 114 | 66.2 |
| 2025 | #1,616 | 105 | 61.5 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Phineas.
- Amos
- Percy
- Linus
- Reuben
- Abel
- Augustine
- Edwin
- Gideon
- Augustus
- Solomon
- Thaddeus
- Benedict
- Angus
- Darcy
- Desmond
- Cedric
- Odis
- Orson
- Lionel
- Ewan
Phineas on lists
Famous Phineass
- Phineas Taylor "P. T." Barnum
American circus showman
- Phineas F. Bresee
founder of the Church of the Nazarene
- Phineas Parkhurst Quimby
American philosopher and healer
- Phineas Gage
American railroad foreman who survived a freak accident
- Phineas Lyman Tracy
U.S. Congressman from New York
- Phineas Newborn Jr.
American jazz pianist
- Phineas Jones
U.S. Congressman from New Jersey
- Phineas Warren Hitchcock
U.S. Senator from Nebraska
- Phineas Bruce
U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts
- Phineas Howe Young
American Mormon leader; son of Brigham Young
- Phineas Chapman Lounsbury
American politician; 53rd Governor of Connecticut
- Phineas Francis
son of singer Wil Francis of horror punk band Aiden
- Phineas Davidson (b. 2009)
son of actors Mary Stuart Masterson and Jeremy Davidson
- Matthew Phineas Previn
son of actress Mia Farrow and composer Andre Previn
- Logan Phineas Miller Murphy (b. 2012)
son of producer Ryan Murphy and David Miller
Phineas in pop culture
- Phineas Horton
character in Marvel Comics
- Phineas "Finny"
a character in "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
- Phineas Nigellus Black
a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series
- Phineas Fletcher
friend to Simeon Halliday in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1851)
- Phineas Fletcher
narrator of "John Halifax, Gentleman" (1856)
- Phineas Flynn
character on animated series "Phineas and Ferb"
- Phineas Filch
character in video game Ace Attorney'
- Phineas Darkon
character n the "Genius" series, by Catherine Jinks
- Phineas T. Bluster
a puppet character on the television show Howdy Doody
- Phineas Bogg
a character in Voyagers!
- Phineas Finn
character in the series by Anthony Trollope
- Phineas T. Freakears
character in Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
- Phineas
a character in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts
- Phineas Sharp
character in Disney's Darkwing Duck
- Phineas
character in Allies in Power Rangers: Mystic Force
- Phineas
multiple characters in Disney's The Haunted Mansion ride
- Phineas T. Ratchet
antagonist in the movie "Robots"